654 
BAS-RELIEFS. 
men might have their visages thus muffled up, that the royal 
viands might not be breathed upon. On the broken remnants 
of the windows (b b b g g) are found similar lines of three 
figures, (Plate XLVII.) some with their heads enveloped, and 
others perfectly free, but all carry some dish or bowl. Amongst 
the least defaced, I found two habited in the Median robe, on 
whose heads were the broad fillets, I suppose to be made of 
metal. The visages of both these are uncovered. One holds in 
his right hand a sort of censer, evidently intended for burning 
perfumes ; and in the other hand, a vessel resembling a pail, 
probably to contain the aromatic gums. The man who follows 
him has a little bottle set in the palm of his hand, and in the 
other he carries a piece of linen. It has always been a custom 
in the East, to wasli with fragrant waters, both before and after 
meals, for which purpose these attendants might be designed. 
The frames of the doors have all one sort of bas-relief, namely, 
a royal personage followed by two attendants bearing an umbrella 
and a fly-chaser. Of this subject I shall give a more particular 
description hereafter ; but meanwhile I remark, that wherever 
this style of bas-relief is found, there are three small compart¬ 
ments of inscription over its head. The outer doors, (k k) also 
those in the wings which their traces shew, are ornamented with 
the two guards armed with the spear only. In this part of the 
building may be seen, in various places beneath the pavement, 
what was the subterraneous aqueduct: it passes in a direct line 
under the center of the great hall (N) due east, where it received 
its supply of water from an immense tank, yet visible at the 
foot of the rocks in that quarter. From the same center, the 
great hall, it strikes out again in a northward direction, being 
traceable to the cistern (y) near the grand portals of the bulls 
